Mining tool for injecting liquid, such as water, at high pressure



June 24, 1958 J. JERUSEL f MINING TooL FOR INJECTING LIQUID, SUCH As WATER, AT HIGH PRESSURE Filed Feb. 2o, 1957 United States Patent4 O MINING TOOL FOR INJECTING LIQUID, SUCH AS WATER, AT HIGH PRESSURE The present invention relates to a mining tool for injecting a liquid such as water at high pressure, for the purposes of dust-abatemet and coal-winning in mines, or for a similar purpose involving the use of liquid under high pressure.

The invention is a mining tool for injecting into a bore hole a liquid, such as water, at high pressure, comprising a tubular body member having a valve-controlled injector nozzle and an abutment at one end, and at the other end region a movable abutment actuable by the high pressure liquid, and resilient deformable meansvlocated between said abutments, so that onrintroduction of high pressure liquid into the bore of said tube, said movable abutment is urged towards said xed abutment to compress axially and -deform said resilient means which expand radially to kengage the wall of the said bore hole to lock said tool in position before liquid is injected through said valve-controlled nozzle.

Preferably, said resilient means comprises a series of rings encircling said tubular body member, alternate rings being formed from rubber-like material and alternate rings being formed from metal.

Preferably, said movable abutment comprises a sleeve surrounding and spaced from said tubular member and movable as a ram under the action of high pressure liquid from the tube bore.

Preferably, said nozzle is controlled by a spring-loaded valve which opens at a predetermined pressure to permit injection.

An advantage olered by the invention is the rigid and reliable method of securing the tool in the vein or seam of coal Vin the case of coal-mining, which guards the operator against the well-known danger of a sudden recoil of the tool. A further advantage is that the tool in accordance with the invention can be extended by the addition of successive lengths of tube, whereby the tool can be inserted into and operated at a depth of rock considerably in excess of that heretofore obtained.

These advantages are made posisble by,

(l) The mounting on the tool of.a metal sleeve env closing the tool over part of its length with provision between said sleeve and the tubular body of the tool of an intermediate chamber in which the water, admitted under pressure by a suitable device, constitutes a second sleeve of liquid, the pressure of which between the metal sleeve and the body of the tool producing a sliding displacement. The result of t-his sliding displacement i-s to compress longitudinally a certain number of rings ofV resilient material, the lateral expansion of whichrings produces a rigid locking effect on the tool within the rocky soil into which it has been inserted. This locking effect increases correspondingly with increase of water-pressure in the tool; c.

(2) The provision,'as required, of a number of additional lengths of tube which can be inserted between the body proper of the tool and the injector head or pump.

Other inventive features such as ,the terminal clackvalve, water-.tight elements, etc., will be observed in thefollowing description.

An embodiment 2,840,360 Patented June 24, 1958 vce `2 by Way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, 4in which:

Eig. 1 is an axial section of the body of a mining tool for use in dust abatement and in breaking down underground coal.

Y vFig. 2 is anaxial sectional View showing an intermediate length kof tube -for extending the tool.

Fig. 3 is an axial sectional view showing an extension tube for attachment to an injector pump and,

Fig. 4'is an axial sectional detail view showing a valve device.

Referring to the drawing, each tubular element forming the body ofthe tool or extension piece, is illustrated showing only the two extremities thereof, the centre part of each being cut away for convenience.

The tool which will now be described is capable of injecting water at a pressure of approximately 200 kg./cm.2l within a bore over a depth of approximately 15 meters.

In Fig. l the main part of the tool comprises essentially a straight, rigid tubular body 1. Water is conveyed under pressure, through the core I of the body following 'thearrow'Z from the injector (not illustrated) towards the terminal orifice Il controlled by the clack-valve 10 (the construction of the Valve 10 will be described herein- 'afterin greater detail).

. The tube 1 is threaded at both extremities 2 and 3. To

fthe threaded portion 2, which is conventionally shown in thek vicinity ofthe orilice Il, collar 4 isscrewed. Collar 4 receives,rin on its threaded portion 5, cap 6 to nwhich Vnozzle 7 is screwed. The skirt 8 of the nozzle 7 acts asan abutment for coil spring 9 which normally urges fvalve 10 against the seatingincollar 4. A milled screw `11`is provided in order to regulate, as desired, the longitudinal position of the nozzle 7 and consequently the `pressure exerted by the spring 9 on the valve 10. This, therefore, offers a simple means of regulating the degree fofresistance provided by the Valve 10 to the ejection of water under pressure. Y

' Two lats 12 on the Iseating 4 enable the seating to be rigidlysecured to the tube 1 and also to be unscrewed ,when it is necessary to replace the resilient annular elements, which willbe described hereinafter, after exces- `sive wear. .The tube 1 is ringed, between the seating 4 and the displaceable sleeve Z1, by a plurality of annular elements, as shown in Fig. l. Some of these elements are 'of a metalsuch as castralurninium, and the others are of a resilient material .such as rubber. The metal elements arereferred to as 14, 14'.. 14n,.the resilient members as 15, 15 15n. These elements are located between Aand limitedby` the annular seating 4 at one end, and by the displaceable sleeve 21 at theother end.

The extremity of the tube 1 distant from the outlet oriiice ll, is threaded at 3 to receive a collar 16 for connecting the body of theV tool either to the injector itself, or to a tubular extension piece, as will be explained. Two flatsV 13 provided on the outer surface `ofthe tube enable Vit to be firmly screwed or unscrewed without damaging the tube. At the entry end of the water fed from the injector, the tube 1 is encased in a metal sleeve 21Y of high tensile strength. The sleeve is 'tegralring 27` having a toric seal or gland 28'capable of of the invention `wi1l now be described,

rolling against the tube. A furtherring 23 is welded at .24'to the tube 14V and enclosesV a toric seal or gland 25 bearing upon the innensurface of the sleeve 21. On the other face of ,the ring 23, a resilient skirt-like seal 26 Vis disposed towards the outletextremity of the tool; Q 'Ille/,tube 1 isformed with a lateralbore 17 between ',thecoreml andchamber 20. Chamber 20 limited by the' outer "face of the tube'l, Ythe inner face of the `when -the `tool ceases operation.

3 sleeve 21, the ring 27 and the seal 26 (thertoric seals 25 and 28 improve tightness in order to prevent any losses ofhydraulic pressure). The bore 17 is aligned with a hole provided in a ring 18. Ring 18 is locked onto the .tube 1 by the.screw.19 and` forms. an. abutment to limit the recoil of the sleeve 21 by;e`ngaging. the4 ring 27, or aforwardfthrustby engaging the seal 26. lWith the mechanism in this position, the `tool is inserted-into the bore and the water is conveyed at high pressure through the injector (direction `ofthe arrow` Z) finto the tube 1. The water fillsthetube without initially actuating the clack-valve which is held against itsy seating bythe spring`9. The water under pressure then enters the chamber` 20.10 expand` thef chamber. the sleeve 21 is rigid, and the seal'26 is locked lby Ithe ring'123, the .hydraulic pressure `isexerted against the `ringt27. to ,move thesleeve 21 in the direction of the arrow Z.` The, tube 21` slides along the` tube 1 on the rings 22 and 27,` the roller-like toric seals 25 and `28 accompanying said sliding movement. v

The result of this displacementof thesleeve ,2,1 on the tube 1 is to reduce the distancebetween theA ring 27 andthe valve-seating 4, and'sof compress the series of annular elementsy therebetween. The rubber elements 15, 1511 which are alone deformable, are reducedin length and consequently increase indiameter; thisaction `locks the tool `rigidly in its bore, the locking etectbeing inV proportion to the hydraulic pressure and to the resistance of the coal. On reaching Va pre-determined `water pressure, the resistance of the Vspring 9 is overcome, ythe valve A10r1's forced back and water is ejected at-fhighpressure through the `nozzle 7. Fig. 2 shows a supplementary extension piece `for the tool, comprising a tube'SO,` one extremity `30` of which is threaded and `is screwed `into the correspondingly tapped portion 16 of connection 16. AThe tightness of thecon- ,nection is ensured by. atoric seal 32 in contact with a hexagonal nut 31 screwed home andwelded at 33 to the tube 30. At its other extremity, the tube is likewise threaded at 30 and is screwed `into the internal threadslof a connection A16a similar to the connection 16. All of these connections are preferably hexagonally` constructed `on the. outer face to facilitate mounting and dismounting. g v A In this manner, as many tubular extension pieces as are required". may be connectedA end' to end, within the limits ofthe resistance of tliematerials to friction against the .rocky soil and to forces of `.whatever kind maybe encountered.`

The Vextension piece connectedto the injectorY is illustrated in` Fig. 3. This piece `comprises a tube 30a,w the extremity` 30,1 of whichis screwed into the correspond- `ingly tapped recess in connection 34, into the threaded part 36 of which the noizle `of `the `injector (not` illustrated) is inserted. Figs. 3 and 4 provide a detail view of a device which enables the hydraulic pressure obtaining-within the tube or tubes of the tool to be relaxed 34 is provided with a ,tapped bore 37 into which the threaded ,extremity 38 of-,a `valve screw 39V containing an axial bore 40 isfinserted. Thereby chamber 41 of theV valve is `incommunicatiorn with ythe core oftheA tubes of-.the tool and at the same timelwith the aperture 42 leading tothe outerair. The chamber 41 has anin- Ytrrnl `thread and` into .this thread a milled screw 44` is inserted. NThestem 44a of thescrew 44 forms a` sleeve within the chamberAl and.;encloses the oppositely disposed stem tlealof` avalvebuttonV preferably of plastic `material. n The head V43 of the valve` button is normally under pressure in order to obstruct; the passages 40 and The last connection` to its working position before the resumption of opera- Since tion with the pressure medium.

I claim: y'

1. A mining tool for injecting into a bore hole a liquid at high pressure, comprising in combination: a rigid tubular `body having `an axial core through which the liquid is injected from 'an inlet end to 'an outlet end; at the outlet end, an abutment cap screwed on the body; valve means controlling the ejection of said liquid and adapted to seat against said outlet end; a rigid sleeve spaced from and encasing said body, forming a liquid receiving chamber around said body, said sleeve lbeing longitudinal between said inlet and an intermediate cross-section of said body; said sleeve being adapted to move longitudinally along said body; near the inlet.V end of said body, a ring slidably `carried jby said body and screwed in the upstream end ofv said sleeve; lbetween thedownstream end ofthe sleeve and said abutment-cap, ,aplurality of spaced deformable rings around said body; a first abutment member integral with V,the downstreamendof saidllsleeve and contacting rollingly the outer surface of saidbody; intermediate said sleeve, a second abutment member integral and rigidwith Vsaid body and bearing on the inner surface of said sleeve; a resilient skirt-shaped seal around the body and adjacentsaid second abutment member on the downstream sidek thereof; intermediate said first abutment member and said seal, aradialfbore in the wall of said body, aligned diarnetrically with a hole provided in a third abutment member lockedon saidjbody and limitling the longitudinal motion of said sleeve by engaging respectively said-first abutment` member -and.said"sea1; the water flowing through'said core'underlhydraulic pressure entering said chamber'through "said,r radial holeto movesadA sleeve toward said outlet end before said valve lmeans aretuated; saidV motion of said sleeve compressing `and expanding radially said deformable rings to lock thetool in itsbore.

2. A` mil 'ng tool as claimed in claim l, in which said `first and second abutment membersrespectively consist of collar, a tubular extension piece threaded 'at one of its ends in said Vcollar, and comprising further a nut screwed on said piece at said end and a toric seal adjacent to and forward offs'aid nut; said Vseal insuring the tightness of lthe connection betweensaid piece and said collar.

5. A mining tool as claimed in claim 4, inwhich said tubular extension piece is threaded at its other end in a collar for receiving a Asecond extensionpiece, the latter Aengaging at its inletend a threaded collarfor receiving the nozale'of the injector.

L6. A mining tool as claimed in claim 5, in which the threaded collar' atutlie inlet end of said second extension piece comprises a radial threaded tap, a valvethreaded in said tap, havingfan axial borerand a lateral outlet to the atmosphere, a ,capscrewed in said axialbore, a milled screw at the head of said cap, and adapted to rotate said cap, whereby, fupon 'such' rotation and cessation of operations, the liuidV 4pressure in the, core of the body and pieces escapes to the outer air.

ReferencesfCit'ed in the file of this patent yUNITED,,STATE s PATENTS n 

